LaGuardia Community College Hosts Panel Discussion Featuring Women Leading New York Politics
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (October 9, 2024) — During a panel discussion on Oct. 9 at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY, women in New York politics shared what motivates their public service, and urged students to vote and be civically engaged. Watch a recording of the event here.
New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, NYC Council Members Julie Won and Tiffany Cabán, and the Governor’s Deputy Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs Chanel Lopez spoke before a group of LaGuardia students, faculty, and staff. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Alexis McLean, Vice President for Student Affairs at LaGuardia, and Dr. Nichole Shippen, Professor of Political Science at LaGuardia.
The panel was introduced by Dr. Billie Gastic Rosado, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs for LaGuardia, who spoke about the pride she feels for her partner, a state representative in Connecticut, and reminded students of the value of women holding elected office.
“We know that women are underrepresented in leadership roles across all sectors, and it’s not just about numbers. It’s about amplifying diverse voices and perspectives that are crucial for our society,” said Dr. Gastic Rosado. “Women leaders bring different and important perspectives to problem -solving and collaboration. They advocate for policies that reflect the diverse needs of our communities, often addressing issues that otherwise would be overlooked. Each of you has a voice that matters, and you have ideas and experiences and a passion for change. The women who fought for our rights didn’t wait for permission, and I urge you not to wait either.”
When asked about her inspiration to run for office, Council Member Won spoke about meeting an eight-year-old girl who spent her days during the pandemic at a bus stop so she could use LinkNYC to participate in classes and do her homework, because she didn’t have access to the internet at her home in public housing. Won said she was frustrated that despite the reliance on the internet for public and private life, families like the little girl’s still did not have Wi-Fi at home. That meeting led to her to run for public office.
“Now, every single NYCHA resident in my district has free Wi-Fi, as well as cable TV, because seniors want to know what’s happening in the news, and can’t afford it, as well as unlimited call and text,” said Council Member Won, “and that’s in perpetuity for the rest of the eternity.”
Senator Gonzalez spoke about her experience traveling from her home in Jackson Heights to school on the Upper East Side as an adolescent, as the spark that led to her run for office.
“We always hear about the tale of two New York’s, but I really lived it. And that’s what inspired me to get involved politically young because we have enough resources in the city and the state to give everyone the quality education that they deserve,” Senator Gonzalez said. “I genuinely believe that when we collectively organize and wield our power, we can make and achieve the dignified better New York that we all deserve.”
Council Member Cabán reminded audience members that they should reach out to their elected officials when they want to see change in their communities.
“You have so much accessibility to be able to walk into an elected official’s office and have deep impact,” Council Member Cabán said. “You do not know how much power you hold. Especially if you organize just a little bit and get together with some like-minded people, you can get a lot done.”
The panelists encouraged students to vote, while acknowledging that it isn’t always something that young people understand the importance of doing.
“I was one of those people. I didn’t care to vote. I didn’t think my voice mattered. When it came election time, I was like, oh, there you go. I would hear the candidates, and it was no interest to me. It wasn’t until I started working in politics, and it wasn’t until I realize that my community was under attack,” said Lopez, a transwoman. “Now I know that voting does matter. And even though you think that your vote doesn’t count, your vote could have put that person you wanted into office. So never think like your vote doesn’t matter, your voice doesn’t count because a lot of elected officials that are in office is because you put them there, right? And we are here to serve the public. And so, register to vote. It’s important.”
Council Member Cabán spoke about losing her first election, as an example of why voting matters.
“When I ran for Queens District Attorney in 2019, I lost in a borough of two and a half million people by 55 votes. It was 0.06 of 1 % of the vote,” Council Member Cabán said. “The race triggered the first manual recount in the state’s history in decades; there was a court case, dispute ballots, all of this. So, when somebody wants to tell you that every vote doesn’t matter? 55, y’all. Voting is that consequential.”
The “Women in Politics” panel discussion was hosted by the Women’s Center & LGBTQ+ Hub, the Liberal Arts: Political Science degree option, the Liberal Arts: Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies degree option, and the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, at LaGuardia Community College.
Dr. Molly Rosner, director for the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, introduced a video about a research project where Gardiner-Shenker Student Scholars researched women in local government, conducted interviews with women elected officials, and conducted research using primary materials in the Archives collections. The impetus was historic representation of women in New York State politics, which includes the first-ever female majority in the New York City Council.
Egypt Tom, a Gardiner-Shenker Student Scholar, spoke about her work on the women in politics research project.
“My research project was focused on how reproductive policy is impacted by the representation of women in government,” Egypt said. “This is a research project I feel passionate about and investigated on a local level while also seeing it debated on a national stage. Since completing this work, I have been inspired to continue furthering my education in political science and potentially attend Hunter College in the fall.”
The panel discussion resonated deeply with Shayla Davidson, 30, a Human Services: Mental Health major.
“I grew up in NYCHA and we have a lot of issues. There’s a lot of stuff that needs to be fixed. We need renovations for our parks and better supermarkets, and more economic investment in our community overall. Hearing the speakers today was helpful because it made me think that I could work my way into politics. I feel like I’m one of the people that could probably help make a change,” said Davidson, who lives in Jamaica, Queens. “I felt like people sometimes downplay women, they don’t think that they are brave enough or strong enough to control certain things. I want to use my Instagram and Facebook platforms to get my friends in my community to get out there and vote.”
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LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to prepare New Yorkers for transfer to senior colleges and rewarding jobs and careers. An institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of the underserved. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students from Queens, NYC and beyond.
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